Welcome to Future Transport Tasmania

We are here to lobby for better public transport and rail infrastructure in Tasmania. We aim to find solutions to allow all Tasmanians to have environmentally responsible and affordable commuting options to get around our state and towns. A more detailed mission statement can be found in the left column or <here>.

Find our articles below, starting with the most recent ones first:

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The Responses: James Sugden

Thank you for your email regarding Tasmania's public transport and rail
services. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I took some time to
answer as this is an area in which I am particularly passionate and I too
believe that Tasmania is now far too dependent on road transport and has been
funding roads to the neglect of mass transit and other modes of transport. So
let me answer your questions as follows:

1. Rail freight is a significant issue for Tasmania because our
infrastructure is appalling in comparison to the rest of the western world. One
example of our poor rail infrastructure is the Ryndaston Tunnel. It was my
understanding that due to the age of the engines and the design of the tunnel,
Pacific National were restricted on the length of their trains because the
ventilation in the tunnel was such that the engines would choke and stall
before they could climb the hill and get out the other end of the tunnel.
Additionally the track alignment and condition is so poor it takes the best
part of a day to get from Hobart to Burnie. When I learnt of these issues, I
was absolutely appalled and it made me realise why there was so little rail
freight in the State.

I believe that rail in our State has no future unless we invest
significantly in our infrastructure so that we can increase train velocities
and reduce maintenance costs so that we can compete with road transport. Until
then, trucks will continue to dominate the roads.

2. In reference to the infrastructure (rail and below) yes. I think we need
to learn from the past. Look at what happened with Pacific National, they
bought the rail, reduced expenditure on maintenance to maximise profits until
the rail network became unviable due to its dilapidated state. Once that
occurred, they presented us with an ultimatum. Either we repaired the
infrastructure for them or they would pull out. This is an impossible situation
and they had the Tasmanian Government over the barrel. We either bailed them
out or lost our rail network. So we bought them out.

I do not want this to happen again, we must maintain control of our rail
so that we do not get held to ransom again.

3. Yes. The railway line to Hobart provides us a corridor through the
northern suburbs of Hobart that we can use for rail or other possible transport
solutions. Many growing cities need to look to alternative transport options
and must spend millions of dollars just to determine a new corridor in an
already built environment, they would be extremely grateful to posses the
corridor we do in Hobart.

The Northern Suburbs Light Rail is one way of using this new corridor
and I find it difficult to believe that it would not be economically viable
given that the track is already there. I read the business case report
submitted to DIER by ACIL Tasman on the light rail and I believe there non
quantifiable benefits detailed in the report significantly increase the
feasibility of the project. The conclusions of the report only considered
economic benefits of the rail and only briefly touched on the environmental and
social benefits giving them no quantifiable economic value. The railway
corridor in to Hobart should be retained because I think we will find a good
use for it to solve our mass transit woes in Hobart.

4. I believe mass transit in Tasmania is underutilised because we have
never really sat down and seriously considered it. I used to live in Brighton
and it took an hour and a half to get to town by bus and half an hour by car,
no wonder people drive. My priority for public transport would be to determine
a way of providing it that was actually more convenient to the user than a
private vehicle.

I would do several things:

·Engage an
expert on mass transit to help us develop a mass transit plan on a state and
local level and then implement recommendations

·Change our
urban planning techniques so that development of our cities is planned around
our mass transit rather than the other way around

·Improve
the public transport infrastructure so that we can reduce congestion and road
maintenance.

·In Hobart
I think some ideas need to be studied for feasibility including, ferry's, light
rail and an improved bus network.

5. I think I have answered this earlier. I don't believe the ACIL Tasman
report went in to the intangible benefits well enough. I find it difficult to
believe that the benefit from a NSLRS would not warrant the cost of running it.
We need to look at the business case again. I think if the bus service were
examined in the same way we would find that it is unfeasible as well.

6. I know of the cable car up Mount Wellington, a funicular railway up
Mount Wellington, high speed ferries on the Derwent, there was talk of restoring
trams to North Hobart, and more recently the mono rail from Sydney. In
determining where my support would lie, it is on the basis of the ability of
the proposal to improve our access to public transport, its speed and
efficiency. Cost benefit is the best way to evaluate these things in terms of
public funding and I think the most benefit in terms of cost at this stage of
all these proposals is the light rail to the northern suburbs.

This doesn't mean I would rule out all the other projects and I would
encourage a private developer who was interested in any of these options as
well. With any proposal I would give it due scrutiny and determine if it was in
Hobart's best interest.

7. This is an interesting question. I have often wondered why people use
public transport so little here in Tasmania. I think people don't really like
buses or the systems we have in place to use them. The best way I believe we
can improve patronage is through the planning techniques outlined in my
previous answers. We need to start making our transport hubs in to retail and
park hubs. They need to be focussed on accommodating people rather than the
buses. In Hobart for instance, I would look at ways of changing the layout so
that we increased the pedestrian areas and incorporated more trees and shelters
along with shops. I would try to use a model similar to that of Mexico City or
Curitiba as they have been successful.

Also, I think we really need to look at going to light rail. People
prefer trains and this needs more investigation.

8. Yes. I think we need to make it a priority to reduce our reliance on
private vehicles and this would help.

9. Absolutely. This is something I am very passionate about. I believe the
government has not taken cyclist's seriously yet. The lanes in Hobart for
instance go nowhere and are still very dangerous to use. We need to separate
bikes from traffic and pedestrians as much as possible and commit to it.
Bicycles are just SO good, they have no pollution AND they improve health. We
are crazy not to be using them more.

10. I really think we have to address our planning, that is the key. Until
we begin to plan our suburbs and cities around public transport, we will remain
stuck in our current situation.

Planning also needs to incorporate inter agency communication and
collaboration. For instance, buses use roads and service public from
residential housing to commercial and industrial zones. Governance of these
things is preformed in Tasmania by DIER for roads, Metro for buses in Hobart,
and Councils/State Government for the planning of our cities. These agencies
need to be communicating with each other to come up with good plans that
provide for good access to public transport.

I advocate for collaboration of agencies and better inter agency
communication for these reasons and also to identify opportunities that are so
often missed to upgrade infrastructure during the course of a related project
from a different agency.

To lobby for and promote rail transport as a preferred option for bulk and intermodal freight

To lobby for and promote improvement and expansion of Tasmania’s rail infrastructure and network

-The retention of the Bridgewater to Hobart line- The reopening of various other lines eg. Derwent Valley, Wiltshire, Smithton and Scottsdale

To lobby for transport solutions to be integrated into urban and regional planning

PRIMARY RATIONALE

Climate change demands action, increased public transport services are inherent to this response

Increasing oil costs, together with the reality of Peak Oil will ensure that significant improvements to public transport services, with a much wider range of options, is necessary in the near future

Economic efficiency –assisting business and providing jobs

Equity and accessibility

Improved air quality and matching Tasmania’s Clean and Green brand

Addressing unsustainable traffic congestion

Removing discrimination –improving access to public transport for the disabled, elderly people and parents

More closely knit and cohesive communities;-eg. Neighbours who catch the same bus are much more likely to talk to one another in comparison to those who drive themselves to work

The notion that public transport systems or indeed a publicly owned rail system have to pay their own way is potentially counterproductive to the aim of such a system-Were Hobart’s old tram and suburban rail systems closed due to lack of patronage, or running costs?

Current demand is not relative to future use, simply because of the lack of current transport alternatives

Rail transport is potentially far more efficient than road, and has multiple benefits alongside decreasing carbon emissions, including;-significantly decreased road maintenance costs-potentially decreased road toll and associated costs relating to heavy vehicle crashes-Tasmania’s rail network was constructed in the 19th century and has to compete with a 20th century highway

MORE ABOUT US

Until now there has been no community-based group advocating public and rail transport. We are here to fill this gap and provide a voice for these issues in the public arena.

We mean business and will work as vigorously as any corporate lobby group does, except that unlike some we want to hear public opinion.

Membership of FTT is open to any person who wishes to be a part of it.

We are not affiliated with any political party. We welcome discussion of our agenda and ideas with anyone, and we hope to have discussions with all three major political parties in Tasmania about these issues.

Tasmania is currently re-defining itself. As part of this process of change and growth, in a vision of sustainability and progress, transport infrastructure is a vital part of nation (and state) building. Future Transport Tasmania aims to bring this vision of the future into today’s public debate.

For further information and comment:Toby Rowallan (Secretary) 0418 997 069Email: